The fires that hit Brazil and the resulting air pollution generated by forest fires have raised alarm bells in the Brazilian medical community due to their impact on the lungs.
Doctors from the National Cancer Institute (Inca), Fiocruz and the Oncoclínicas institute met in Brasília for the 12th Dana-Farber Cancer Institute International Oncoclínicas Congress and debated the issue with journalists.
According to Inca’s general director, Roberto de Almeida Gil, air pollution is one of the biggest risk factors for early death. “We are seeing an increase in hospitalizations for acute respiratory problems caused by particles inhaled in fires, but the more serious consequences, such as the development of cancer, will appear many years later. It’s the price we’re going to pay for the air we’re breathing today,” he said.
During the conversation, doctors explained that the microparticles released by fires – PM2.5 – are directly related to severe lung inflammation, leading to cellular mutations that, over time, can result in cancer. According to Tatiane Tilli, researcher and coordinator of the Translational Oncology Platform at Fiocruz, these particles are so small that they are not detectable with the naked eye, but they have a huge potential for severe damage to health.
For the president of the Oncoclínicas institute, Carlos Gil, the most recent studies have shown that environmental pollution, regardless of its origin, is increasingly related to lung cancer in non-smokers.
“Asian research proves the direct relationship between fires and the increase in the incidence of cancer. Populations from areas exposed to pollution typical of large urban centers were compared with those from regions whose air is less polluted. It became evident that smoke from large industries and the burning of fossil fuels in traffic is one of the main factors causing cancer. Although this research did not focus specifically on fires, the logic is the same”, said the expert.
Doctors warned that it is possible to protect yourself by wearing masks, as occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, but that the main need is to have a change in public policies to prevent the air from being even more polluted.
This content was originally published in Medical community studies relationship between fires and lung diseases on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
